The search for a practical skirt

Are the yardage requirements on a pattern the amount I buy in the shop, or for after shrinkage?

Before shrinkage.

I bought this skirt from Samurai Pants on etsy.  I bought some pants from them about five years ago and they are my favourite summer pants.  I wear them in town and on the farm and they are made from durable cotton and there's a good human story behind the brand too.  I love their stuff so I splurged and bought a second pair of pants and two skirts.



The amount of cloth is generous which gives me the freedom of movement I need and it feels both warm and cool at the same time.  

It's one size fits most and I'm on the upper end of 'most' these days.  The problem is, my tummy is tender due to Crohn's so I'm not liking the tight elastic band on this skirt.  But the skirt is about an inch longer than I want so I am planning to hem it.  But I also want to change the top.  Instead of the thin elastic clenching my gut, I could make a wide band on top?  Only... how?  

the top band from this skirt is very comfortable

Here's a closeup of the top of the skirt

You could take your inch off by redoing the top.  It may be that it is uncomfortable for 2 reasons, it is narrow elastic and also you say you are in the upper range of how big it will fit so the elelastic is stretched a lot and then off course applies more force back onto your stomach.  

You will cut off the existing top and then... A lot of choices but you do not sew much ?  If not is there someone you can hire or trade?  Cotton jersey ( tee shirt fabric)  makes a soft waist band, it does not stretch as much as elastic but does stretch to take on and off,  the ones I have seen like this it is double layer and 3 or 4 inches wide.  Or you can buy a piece of wide elastic as width means more comfortable and you will use a longer piece than is in the skirt now. You will fold over the top making a new casing and then thread the new wider and looser elastic in

Debi beat me to it. Cut off your existing waistband, fold it over, add a piece of 3/4 inch or 1 inch wide no roll elastic, it won't look smooth when you buy it, will look like it has kind of a structure to the weave like this, it won't roll up into a mess:

Put the elastic into your rolled over top, and your waist and length are now both fixed! :D

As far as yardage, theoretically the pattern amount allows for shrinkage, in actuality, if you are going for a high shrinkage 100% cotton, I'd add 1/8 of a yard just for extra to shrink.

I took the elastic out and there is lots of fabric.  That's one of the things that attracts me to this brand is that they always have a generous hem and seam allowance.  

The elastic is over an inch thick, so I think maybe I'll put it back in the back and use the ties for the front third.  what do you think?  

I won't have access to my sewing machine until the weekend, so I have lots of time to plan.  

Big bales of castoffs from places like Value Village and the Salvation Army are sold at second-hand shops in the Philippines. Sometimes they send extra large men's t-shirts. These tend to be in oversupply because most of the people aren't big enough for them.

Nova buys these shirts for 20 pesos which is about $0.40 American and she turns them into utility skirts or dresses. Not something she'd wear to a nice restaurant, but perfectly good for house cleaning or to put on after swimming if the temperature dips below 80 and she gets cold.

Some get a slit cut in them and some get a belt. Shorts are worn beneath. One has the arms cut off completely except for a remnant that is used for tying. Used as a cooking apron. Most of them are used to cover nicer clothing underneath or as an additional layer when it gets cool in the evening.

r ranson wrote:I took the elastic out and there is lots of fabric.  That's one of the things that attracts me to this brand is that they always have a generous hem and seam allowance.  

The elastic is over an inch thick, so I think maybe I'll put it back in the back and use the ties for the front third.  what do you think?  

I won't have access to my sewing machine until the weekend, so I have lots of time to plan.  

Elastic in back and draw string in front is a common way to do it, so a good idea.  It would look nice. As long as drawstrings are comfortable for you on your body. Certainly you will have good control on making it looser or tighter

I don't know if drawstrings are comfortable per se, but my biggest challenge is my gut can grow or shrink by over four inches during the day for various reasons.  It's nice to be able to adjust during the day.  It's something I know how to do, so I guess I'll go that path unless there's a better option.  It's just I hate having a bow in front like that.  

The most comfortable waist I've found so far is this one with the wide, solid fabric on the front and the elastic back.  But probably too complicated for me and I don't have any stiff fabric like that.

It's just I hate having a bow in front like that.

If it's the looks of the bow that you don't like, you can make it so the strings/ties comes out toward your body, and the bow is tied so it is inside the waistband, not showing. The ties can't be real thick though. That just makes a person look deformed.

I’m so glad this thread exists, as this is just the sort of help I need right now!

I’m a student gardener and for the last 3 and a half years my cargo pants have served me well. They’re made out of a thick sturdy denim, they have lots of big pockets, and they’re camo which camouflages the mud stains a bit. BUT I’ve had to mend the crotch at least three times and I’m tired of having to mend and re-mend that when I have other things that need mending. Also, they make it difficult to take the stairs two at a time, because they’re guy pants and they never quite fit properly.

I’m solving both issues by converting my pants into a skirt obviously. I got some green denim scrap cloth I’m going to sew to the pant legs.



As you can see (assuming I've attached this image right...) I’ve already cut open the inseam, so now I’m committed! The faster I sew, the less likely I am to permanently stain my other cargos lol

Thank you to everyone who’s contributed to this thread! Walking skirt and utility kilt were very helpful suggestions for looking up inspiration, and the flat front panel advice was brilliant, that never occurred to me at all.

Alright I got about a month’s use out of my skirt before COVID-19 shut down the gardens, and I'm quite pleased with my new work garment! Like people  discussed earlier in the thread, I went for a flat front panel, while in the back I made a pleated design inspired by kilts, walking skirts, and limited yardage. It’s definitely a lot more comfortable to walk and climb around in, and it accommodates my adding and subtracting of layers. It does drag at my legs a little on very windy days, but nothing too bad, and it doesn’t get too windy often where I am anyways. It took me about a week to stitch, sewing running back stitches by hand in my free time. One night some other students were watching Avatar in the common room while I sewed, and I liked the design of the Fire Sages robes, so I made the front panel end in a triangular point instead of a flat edge flush with the pant hems. I think that helps a little with mobility/not stepping on my skirt.

I made a couple of mistakes I still need to fix. I think I should raise the hem so that the skirt is slightly shorter then my pants were, so that it doesn’t drag on the ground so often. I also made a super beginner mistake by folding the raw edges so that they were out of sight, but still very much exposed and raw on the inside. Experiences sewers will predict what happened to those edges after a couple washes and month of hard use: the edges started to unravel and I found my feet getting tangled in threads. Whoops.

I’ve worn it both around the gardens and around campus and, unexpectedly, I’ve gotten a ton of compliments, both by people who wanted to know if I’d made it and by people who seemed to have no clue. One volunteer at the garden even told me that turning pants into skirts had been trendy when she was in high school. Who knew?

(I've tried to attach some pictures. Hopefully they show up.)

simple skirt tutorial with pockets

My current favorite everyday skirt.

It's a simple wrap skirt made of Latvian linen (bought in actual Latvia on a trip).

French seams inside, so I can actually wear it inside out if it's stained. Or I can swap which panel is in front (since it's mostly the front that gets spilled on). Which makes for four wears before it really needs to be cleaned. And yes, I've been wearing it every other day all summer so far.

It's insanely comfy even in very hot weather, getting softer with every wash,  can accommodate bloating, and the natural ecru hides dust very well (dirt brushes right off).

Years later...A-line styles often have the center front seam cut on an angle to avoid as many darting issues as possible. I would suggest a straight panel, on the lengthwise grain as that is the most stable, with side panels slightly gathered to a contoured waistband as that also helps with shaping and allows use of that stable straight grain. NB: many of the dtopcloyhs svailable now have a lot of synthetic in them, but fot those instances where that is allowable, they are sturdy. Pockets...check out the vonstruction on bellows pockets on military uniforms.  They are sort of like a shopping tote writ small, constructed separately as a backless tote with maybe a pleat in the front for expansion, then top stitched on around the back. You need a sturdy, tightly woven fabric to carry the weight of your implements.

Another idea...old jeans that fit your waist and hips, chop 'em off below the zipper and hem as you like, then use the lower legs ( usually not as worn as knees and thighs) to add free hanging cargo pockets on the sides and front. Wear this over your skirt of choice as a variant on a carpenter's tool belt. This would also address the skirt front flaring into places it shouldn't!

Regarding the beautiful dress with the torn lace, what a shame! Remember, medirvslly, mist of what people see is what the NOBILITY wore...i.e. not workers! Peasant women had shorter hems, maybe to the ankle bone ? And, if you ever read a bodice ripper romance and wondered what it means to kirtle or kilt up a skirt, you either lift up the hem in front and tuck into your waistband/belt, or you grab the front somewhere between the knees and hips and do the same. Temporary shorter hems for working where it's wet or on hillsides.

Here's a pattern for a lovely looking skirt.



this is where we can download the pattern at a pay-as-you-can basis.

pdf https://ko-fi.com/s/fcf79dc42e
gridded pattern https://ko-fi.com/s/40aa1a5297

Raven, from your description, you are looking for versatility, comfort and flexible living.
A couple of things appear to shake out from the posts.  You said about you ugly knees - I must disagree!!  They work and allow you to do much.  I have a neighbour whose knees are shot and cause him serious pain as well as being scarred.  We each have our dislikes about ourselves until we see someone else who is disfigured more then we.......  I am what I am and so be it.  It is not what you are that I embrace, it is what you bring to the table.  I am grateful for your wealth of experience and that you share it with us.

The other thing was what to wear to town - If someone has an issue with what I wear, it is their issue, not mine.  I wear what I am comfortable with. We are too concerned about what people think about us, where as in reality they hardly ever notice.  Most people are self centered.

So to the clothing.  The nurses at one place I worked wore aprons over their uniforms so if they got dirty, it was a matter of changing the apron.  The Amish women have a similar style, with aprons.  The comfortable cotton or light wool skirt and a calico apron may be your solution
Happy sewing :-)

r ranson wrote:Toying with so many different places to put this.  In the end, I decided on Frugality because that's my main motivation in this quest.

I like wearing skirts.  They are comfortable, functional and fun.  Given my druthers, and the right skirt, I would rather wear a skirt for farm work than jeans.  Year round.  No matter the weather.  No matter the task.  Birthing a lamb or planting seeds, even wrestling my 500+pound feral rescue llama is better done in a skirt.  

Finding the right skirt, however, has always been the problem.  Not every skirt is suited to wrangling geese.  On top of that, most modern clothing processing has social and environmental issues.  When I do find a skirt that seems okay, it usually wears out in a month.  The quality of the sewing or fabric is just not good enough.  Then there is the fact that I'm piss poor on a finite income that wouldn't cover groceries if I didn't grow half my food.  So I thought, why not make my own skirt?

Four over 6 years now, I've spent hours scouring sewing patterns, but can find nothing appropriate.  In a decade, I've only found two skirts that are practical for around the farm and look decent enough to wear into town.  However, they are both too short.  Maybe I can design my own skirt?  

Anyone want to help?
My sewing skills include: following directions, making darts, sewing buttons and buttonholes, straight stitch on my machine, and enclosed seams.  It's an old treadle machine, so no zigzag.  I have limited success designing my own pattern.  Mostly failure.  But how hard can a skirt be?

My ideal skirt pattern is...

between calf and ankle length

is adjustable for different seasons and cloth (linen and wool mostly)

is made with woven fabric

has optional pockets

looks good enough to wear into town - aka a style not to weird by modern standards

has enough space that I can run or dig or whatever needs doing on the farm

has a flat panel on the front - to stop it draping into the fire

can have a button or elastic waste, but mostly button

has the option of including a lining, especially for wool skirts in winter

not a wrap around - they don't hold together with the kind of farming I do

can be made cheaply using whatever fabric is on hand

is durable - which I suspect has more to do with materials and construction techniques

Must cover my knees because I think they are ugly, even if they aren't I just don't like other people seeing them

So what do you think?  Does my perfect practical skirt already exist or am I going to have to design my own?


My next step is to take my favourite skirt and lay it down on a scrap of paper and trace a pattern.  Then I'll make a mock up and get the size right.

Hi there. I know this is an old post, but thought I would add my 2 cents...
1. You could start recycling a different skirt, or one you may find 2nd hand or free. Narrow the width, change the waistband to elastic, hem it up etc. I do this all the time. I see something I like, the fabric, or the print or whatever, and I adjust it to what I like if possible.

2. Upcycle a pair of jeans. Yes, you can make a nifty skirt of of denim pants. I love denim. It is sturdy and wears well. Find a pair of denim pants that fit you well along the waist and hips. To make pants into a skirt, you seam rip the inner leg seams apart all the way up to the crotch of the pants. Or you can just cut the inner seams off with the scissors. You then add a triangle shaped patch in that area, both front and back. This can be denim of similar kind, or even another fabric to make a funky fun skirt. You can even add more pockets, which I think you can never have too many of.

I hope this helps. I am pretty experienced with up cycling clothes and making-do.

R, the attention to detail in the walking skirt is amazing.  And the hand stitching bring forward an almost lost craft, words cannot express how really good it because superlatives would undersell it.
In such a project, supervision is mandatory.  I have two making sure I do not stuff this post up 🙀😸.   A couple of questions if I may?

How heavy is the material?  I am assuming it is linen?
Cheers

Not sure if you have already tried it, how about A-line or straight skirts of your preferred length with a slit?

R, if you like the Folkwear walking skirt pattern,  check out Black Snail Patterns.  Same skirt, better price :)

It is knee length. I walked into a cool air-conditioned fast food place and sat down on the plastic bench chair. Man, what a shock! They can also be dangerous when sitting down on a metal trailer hitch, on a hot day. You’ll learn quickly.

My family ( mom sister and I) make an infinite gore skirt. Usually 6 to 8 panels (although the picture is many more). You basically decide if you want have it fairly fitted around your waist/hips to decide if you are putting in a zipper with button/snaps or elastic. Zipper measuring your waist, elastic measuring the widest point of your hips. Take that measurement divided by the number of panels and add 1 in. This is the size of the top of your panels. The bottom is wider sized according to how much flare you want in your skirt (picture is very flared) or maybe the piece of fabric is a remnant that only has less than a foot more than the top measurement. Cut alternating trapezoids out of your fabric and flip half of them so all narrow sides are the same direction stitch together. Do a rolled hem or use bias tape to hem the bottom.(bias will make your hem stiffer and may create a hoopskirt effect flaring out your skirt)  
Do a foldover casing to hold your elastic or make a wide band for the waistband of your skirt. If you cut your panels so that the end pieces are both half a panel you can add a side seam pocket or the zipper in the top middle of this "Frankenstein" panel.
Notes on fabric - most fabric is called 45 inch wide (it's usually 44-44 1/2) but some is "60" and sheat fabric is even wider. You want 45. If the fabric is woven or print for the decorations matters as one has much easier distinctions between "right" and "wrong" side if doing an odd number of panels and the "Frankenstein panel" is one of them it needs a fabric that either side can be "right side". The 1st time you make this I recommend a light weight fabric - about the thickness of the cheep bedsheets. After that practice you will be able to try heavier weight fabrics and/or more expensive fabrics.
I do a lot of SCA recreation costumes so I made one for my toddler son, the pants were out of forest green wool crepe. He was sitting down playing in the light tan dust and when he got up and took about 5 steps all the dirt had fallen off his pants so they looked like new. Wool crepe is lightweight for wool but slightly heavier weight than cotton flannel. It's also warm in winter (although maybe not enough for Montana) but cool in summer and often used in making suits so classy looking in town.

Ohhh, I didn't think my current skirt pattern could get any better, but I saw this video today:



here is the pattern she uses

The adjustable inner waist lacing is exactly what I need in a skirt.  It's a bit short for working on the farm and the front has too much volume (a flat skirt front is way more practical for work).  But it might be worth getting this pattern to play with.  

I know this is an old post and you specifically didn't want something that was a wrap around, which is fair, but I wear a traditional sarong. It's all I wore all season this year, no matter the weather, eschewing the jeans altogether.

I like that it fits no matter what happens to my weight (I lost about 60 pounds this year.) It's fast and easy to take on on off (looking at the closet nudist earlier in the thread.) It's simple construction that I could make myself once my current one is no longer serviceable... just a rectangle of fabric with a hem around the edges. It can be whatever length I want by simply rolling the top down more or less. They can be tied in a number of ways, even as shorts, if you want more coverage. I have instant pockets of any reasonable size... I roll my phone, gloves, pruners, knife, etc. into the waist band (which actually makes the sarong more secure because it adds a bit of tension.)  If I need to carry a larger amount of produce or whatever and don't have a bucket/bin/whatever handy, I can simply hold the front with one hand and start piling things in.

Admittedly, access to contents is less convenient than actual pockets, and does require some adjustment as you're adding and subtracting tension. Also not a great choice for colder weather if you're sensitive to that sort of thing, but I only switch to something else in the absolute coldest months. And as a guy living where sarongs aren't traditional, I don't wear it into town, partly out of concern over wardrobe malfunctions in permies, but mostly because I want to get my stuff and get home without fielding a million questions, and that's easier if I blend in with the locals. 😅

Don't have pictures, but have a short video of me moving boulders around in it:

https://youtube.com/shorts/cXPsC76OI4Y?si=AjcTHkHGIbFRF5HU

Jd Gonzalez wrote:

http://www.paisleypincushion.com/product/buckle-jumper-pattern/

As a child from the early seventies reading your quest reminded me of coveralls turned into skirts. I had a very handy ex who used make them.

I know this is an old thread, but hoping someone knows why when I clicked the pattern link it changes to ww5.paisleypincushion.com and shows a white blank page. Tried several times to re-copy and paste still does the same thing. Maybe that means they're not in business now?  Any alternative patterns you know of?

Hi, Denise! I still make skirts, jumpers, and dresses from jeans, overalls, pants, and even shorts. I can't say I've ever used a pattern to do it, though. I just open up the seams, lay them flat and trim off the parts that won't lay flat. Then I cut godets to size, for each place I want them (sometimes, I open the outseams, and add them there, too, for a wider hem), and sew them in.

I have to share. Today I was visiting a thrift store  and met a man who was shopping there holding a couple of hangers with some narrow cloth with a scalloped-edge and botanical designs. I asked him what they were. He said "runners" and he was going to transform them into "shorts" for himself for summer gardening/yardwork! As we examined the cloth together he noted it was nice sturdy fabric and the price of that quality of fabric was more reasonable at the thrift store than at the retail store in town. He had studied pattern making at a well-known design school in the Bay area years ago (so pardon me I cannot recall the name of the school!!). He has two sewing machines and does upholstery also. we had a delightful lively conversation and of course I shared about my Permies friends who are also making clothing and patterns! What a fun afternoon!

Joylynn Hardesty wrote:Is there such a thing as a photo of such a skirt?
This is what I see... http://mccallpattern.mccall.com/m6940-products-48286.php?page_id=915
No freaking out allowed. I would not send you into town wearing THAT.
Reimagine veiw B as just a skirt, only one fabric used.
The image does not want to be posted. Hmm. I would have given proper credit.
To alter the pattern pieces:
Find the front and back panels. Find the natural waistline. Cut off, or fold back the bodice to create the skirt pattern pieces. If folding, pin the bodice part back to 'hide' it.
The front and back side panels will need to be changed, just use some newspaper, or butcher paper to alter the top convex curve to form a straight line, also extending up to the natural waistline. Be sure to have the length of the side/front seams match the length of the front/side seams. Front and back measurements will not be the same, so do likewise to the side/back and back/side lengths.
The side panels are cut on the bias, giving it more room for a stride than it may appear. While this one does not, most patterns list the circumfrence of the fininshed hem. You would need to measure the pattern pieces to acertain this number. Don't forget to subtract the seam allowances. Compare this number to the length of your stride. Take a step, stretching your step out to just uncomfortable. Measure this length. Double it and add 3 inches for ease.
Add a waistband, using a button and 9' zipper at back or side seam.
A flap can be added to use buttons instead of zipper. I don't know how to explain the process, I am a visual learner and teacher without a camera. Ugh.
Now cut out the fabric.


http://www.simplicity.com/p-11846-misses-pencil-flounce-flared-skirts.aspx#t-2
This skirt, veiw D, is only 23 inches long, from waist to finished length.
To alter the pattern pieces:
For veiw D, lengthen the 'straight'panels to desired length. Widen the hem edges of front and back straight panels by maybe 2 inches each panel, tapering panels up to hips. Side front and side back panels add no more than 1 1/2 inch each to the hems, half to each edge, tapering uo to hips. Lengthen the triangle inserts, aiming the insert to begin at about mid thigh, tapering them down to about the same width as they were to begin with. Add the length of all your hem edges together. Is this long enough to accomodate your stride? Adjust triangle pattern until it does. Don't forget to subtract seam allowances.
Now you can cut out the fabric.
The triangles can be made of a lighter weight fabric than the skirt. Perhaps denim skirt, calico insert. Or Linen skirt and chiffon insert. Ha ha ha! Ahem. Great farm wear! (You may happen on some sturdy linen or cotton lawn though. It does not do the snagging thing that chiffon will do.) Doing so will cause them to 'tend' to hide inside the skirt, not billow out into a fire.


I prefer patch pockets in a skirt. I have found that in seam pockets fight me too much, they twist the wrong way. They could look like jeans, cargo, flowers, etc. Whatever you like.
Also any skirt pattern can have a waistband attached to it, for belt use. I have yet to decide if I prefer a waist threaded belt for tool carrying, or more of a 'gunslingers' style. I always take garden shears, multi tool, and knife. If I take a 'quick trip' out, I always end up with a trip back to the house.
I like the idea of a skirt for working. Much less binding. For now though, due to chiggers, i wear slightly too big dickies. Not stylish. At all.

Any skirt pattern can have a lining added. To use less fabric, do not echo the style in the skirt though. Think A line skirt, with a back split, maybe side splits too, from knee level down. Attach at waistband, lining up with the zipper, some light gathering may be needed at waist.

Hey! Just a note, try a different shape of pocket.

You can extend the top edge to the waistband so that it is kept in your preferred orientation, and you don't even have to have it face to the right or left - I make my own pocket patterns based on older pocket styles and most of the time I end up with one that actually has the pocket seam in the middle, with the pocket flat against the skirt side. My current project actually has the seams going like a capital I in some fonts - one piece, long edges sewn up the middle with a space left for the pocket opening, and the top and bottom edges sewn shut. Top edge is going to be caught in the waistband so it doesn't drag down too much on the skirt. I just eyeballed the size, but I can fit my 32 oz insulated bottle comfortably inside.

I've been wearing a sarong recently. I sewed on pockets for versatility and practicality. If doing hard labor, I pin it with a safety pin, so no chance of it falling off.

Note regarding wrapping. If I start with a v-shape across the belly, before folding the waist, then it hangs more open, and less like a binding straight-skirt.

R. Ranson - the skirt has a nicely finished waistband. I would leave it as is only to lenghten the elasic, find a seam and open it up and sew a short piece of similar elastic to the existing one so it will not clutch at you so tightly. I'd definintely shorten the skirt. Measure carefully and cut and sew a new hem in it. Pretty print!

Back when you could pick up cotton calicos at WM for less than $3 a yard I’d buy 2 yards, cut it in half crosswise, turn one piece 180° so the pattern would match, sew up the sides (the selvedge kept the seams from fraying), put on a casing and elastic at the waist and a simple rolled hem.  I’d pick up flannel for winter. Sometimes I’d find curtains at the thrift store to use for fabric.  I’d layer them in the winter, and I actually found several of this type of skirt (a dirndl I guess) in real silk at the thrift store.  These made warm liners.   For a flatter front you could always work more the elastic to the back half and secure it there with a stitch in the ditch at the side seams.  Aprons are pretty much a must for me.  I can ruin a new t-shirt for anything but farm wear on a day.  I get chefs aprons cheap at Sam’s and keep half a dozen or so on hand.

Kena Landry wrote:My current favorite everyday skirt.

Four years later, I still stand by this skirt as the perfect skirt. I've worn it hiking. I've worn it at the office. I've worn it in shrines in Japan in insanely hot weather. I've worn it gardening. It's not showing any kind of wear, and it's gotten softer over time.

I've also started sewing split-side skirts based on  this pattern/tutorial. I'll typically make the main skirt a circle rather than a gathered rectancle (fits better my silhouette and has a more modern fit, although it's  more wasteful of fabric). I've made one very long (not super practical, but I feel very witchy wearing it), and three short ones. The great thing is that the waist can accommodate any kind of weight gain or bloating, and the pattern can easily be adapted to whatever fabric you have (I've made two in thrifted bedsheets) And no need to fit a zipper